A common consulting theme is athletes hitting the gym hard but not seeing any measurable improvements in their top end(sprint power) and wondering why. It's often the on the bike sprint training portion that is missing.
I'll say it again, fit is fit, OFFSA Cross Country Ski results, 3 out of top 8, (150+ total) are multisport athletes with a cycling focus. XC skiers always come out of winter with big fitness, and a freshness on the bike that is tough to beat.
Annual FTP ramp test rant : Ramp test "FTP" result 239w, at a 97% effort cause at 100% I pass out and am useless the rest of the day and I told my partner I'd stop going that hard. So if I really went to 99% closer to 245w. π§΅
If you want to use a ramp test to narrow down an FTP setting that's fine, but TEST that result, I would caution against blindly set it and base everything off of it.
Simple example, two riders, same weight, both have an FTP of 250. One has a max 5 second power of 800, the other can hit 1300. If those two riders jump on "insert online platform" rider 1 will likely have a tough time with those intense workouts. While rider 2 breezes through.
Follow up to my last thread. Todays FB page lurking. Incomplete workout on "insert online platform here". Yes there can be a mental component to not finishing a challenging workout but there is also another common reason.
FTP up to max power is HIGHLY individual, meaning two riders, same weight, same health, same nutrition. Can have very different zones above FTP, based on their specific power curves.
That's less than a tire or entry fee to a race these days.
Lot's of amazing knowledgeable coaches out there that are a zoom call away.
Reach out to them and ask if they offer a consultation.
Advice for the new year: Hiring a private coach is a large investment and commitment, no argument there. For all the folks who are training for an event or large challenge, and leaning on online platforms and podcasts to self-train/coach and keep their budgets tight. π§΅
To have an experienced coach hear your story, look at your training plan, look at your training history and answer your questions, I believe is pretty invaluable. I'm not sure what others charge, mine are 50 bucks, others are likely more or less.